Zab Judah yesterday sounded as concerned about what might happen outside the ring Saturday night at the Garden as what might happen inside it. Judah challenges unbeaten Miguel Cotto for the WBA welterweight championship, but wants to make sure the event doesn’t turn into a “race war” between Puerto Ricans and African-Americans.

Judah, a Brooklyn native, became concerned after listening to the tone of callers while doing a radio interview yesterday morning.

“People kind of took it to a black-Spanish thing,” Judah said during the final formal press conference before the fight. “We don’t want to get into that. I’m from Brooklyn and I’ve got plenty of good Latino friends all over. I don’t want anybody to start something that it shouldn’t be. This is just boxing.”

A sellout crowd close to 19,000 is expected for what is being billed as the biggest fight at the Garden since 2001, when Bernard Hopkins and Felix “Tito” Trinidad met for the middleweight title. The building will be filled with passionate Puerto Rican fans backing Cotto, the unbeaten champion; and Brooklyn will be in the house supporting Judah, the former undisputed welterweight champion.

“I’m going to have my people there and he’s going to have his people and it could turn ugly,” Judah said. “We don’t want it to go there. This is about a boxing match between two professionals, two world champions who are going to fight hard for 12 rounds should it go that long. When it’s over, it’s over.”

Judah is sensitive to such matters; he was suspended for a year by the Nevada State Athletic Commission after being involved in a melee during the 10th round of his fight with Floyd Mayweather in April 2006 in Las Vegas. Judah hit Mayweather with a low blow, prompting trainers and backers from both corners to enter the ring and start swinging. Only quick action by law enforcement and other security prevented the situation from escalating outside the ring.

The Garden is still haunted by the riot that erupted during the Riddick Bowe-Andrew Golota heavyweight bout in 1996, but hasn’t had any real problems at boxing events since then.

“First and foremost to us is the safety of all our guests and our fans, and we take every precaution and we do everything that’s necessary to assure that safety for everybody attending the fight,” said Joel Fisher, a senior vice president at the Garden.

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum did his part yesterday, admonishing all the fighters on the card to be on their best behavior.

“Conduct yourself as best you can,” he said. “The eyes of the world are going to be watching.”